Let Go
by emmylouuwho
Summary: Mark and Maddy's reunion in the finale. Before Jim and his horrible timing happened.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** There's (probably) gonna be a second chapter to this, set after Jim's interruption. It's about half done now. This was written pretty quickly, so apologies for any mistakes. And the song has nothing to do with the fic, just what I was listening to when I wrote it, and couldn't think of a title.

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><p><em>It's all right<br>'cause there's beauty in the breakdown_

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><p>Mark was only an hour into his shift when a familiar red head of hair could be seen through the trees, accompanied by enough noise to alert everything in a hundred-yard radius of his presence.<br>"Dunham, what are you doing out here?"  
>Dunham looked sheepish. "Reilly asked, well ordered, me to come out here and relieve you for your shift."<br>Mark frowned. "Why?"  
>Dunham gave him a blank look. "Well, it was right after the Commander came back with the Shannons, so I guess it has something to do with that."<br>His first terrified thought was that something had happened to Maddy during the escape, and that's why he was being called back. Then he noticed the smirk Dunham was trying to suppress.  
>"You are such a tool." At that Dunham burst into laughter, and Mark shook his head, grinning despite himself. "If you weren't doing me a huge favor, I'd kick your ass."<br>Dunham grinned. "Aw, I'm touched."  
>"Thanks, man," Mark called over his shoulder, already setting off at a jog toward the camp.<p>

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><p>He saw her just as he entered the camp, before she saw him. He hadn't seen Maddy in over a week, but it seemed lifetimes longer. So much had happened. He was just thankful that Maddy was okay, that all the Shannons were unharmed. Mostly anyway. And as he saw each of them, Mark realized that somehow, without him even noticing, the Shannons had become his family.<br>Maddy was at the edge of the camp, wandering around as though not quite sure what to do with herself. Josh and Zoe were seated on the ground nearby, Zoe with her head on her brother's shoulder. Josh looked like hell, with purpling bruises and cuts across his face, but Zoe, the ever resilient one, looked just the same. Maddy seemed caught between watching them and watching the jungle outside the perimeter. She played with the black cord around her neck, twisting it so the ID card on the end spun, catching the fading sunlight.  
>Maddy didn't have any visible injuries, and was definitely cleaner than the rest of them; she'd had access to soap and running water in the past week whereas the soldiers out here hadn't. She had her hair pinned up on her head, a few strands coming loose to stick to her neck in the humidity. Mark smiled in relief. At that moment, Maddy turned in her aimless pacing and caught sight of him. Her face broke into a smile like he'd never seen before. No one in his life had ever been that happy to see him.<br>Maddy ran the remaining few yards between them and flung herself into his arms. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Josh roll his eyes and make a sound of disgust, but Mark really couldn't be bothered to care right then.  
>He took a step back at the force of her attack, but didn't let her go. He chuckled. "Hi."<br>Maddy pulled back to look him in the eye and smiled unapologetically. "Hi," she replied and kissed him.  
>Finally, reluctantly, he set her back on the ground. He could see Dr. Shannon hiding a smile behind her hand, and beside her, Mr. Shannon was glaring daggers at him. It was weird how he only seemed more intimidating when he was hunched over and covered in bruises.<p>

Mark dropped his gear off beside his bunk, which was a blanket on the ground, Maddy keeping a tight hold of his hand all the time. Not that he minded. He liked having that physical reassurance.  
>They walked just out of sight of the camp, but still within earshot in case of an attack, and because it was quickly growing dark. As always, Maddy talked, and Mark listened.<br>She told him everything, from the shelling of the colony, to her mother's ingenious plan to get her father released-"I never knew she was that sneaky. It was awesome."-to Lt. Washington's execution. He'd already heard about it from the other soldiers, but something about Maddy saying it again aloud, her voice choking, brought the reality home once more. Wash, who had all but adopted him when he showed up on the Fifth an ignorant fresh. She'd sacrificed herself to buy the Shannons time to escape, to buy _Maddy_ time to get to safety.  
>Mark sent a silent thank you to his friend for saving his family.<p>

Mark put his arms around Maddy as she cried. As much as Maddy had gone through here and in 2149, she'd never been through something like this. She'd never been in a war. And neither had Mark come to think of it. The Sixers had always seemed more like unfriendly neighbors to him, a lot like the carnivorous dinosaurs outside their gates.  
>Mark leaned back against the tree trunk, Maddy clutching his shirt as her tears subsided. Finally she looked up at him, tears clumping her lashes. He held her face gently in his hands, his thumbs drying her cheeks.<br>"I'm glad you're okay." She smiled shakily. "I was really worried."  
>"Me too." He kissed her softly, reaching up to release her hair so it fell in loose waves around her face, and threaded his fingers through it.<br>The kiss took on a desperate edge, full of pent up fear and anxiety and relief. He turned so Maddy was pinned against the tree. She smiled against his mouth. "I missed you so much."  
>"Me too."<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Hurray, I'm back from the dead! Or more specifically, the time vortex that is the beginning of the semester. I'm working on _I'm In Here_ as well, if any of you are reading that, and should have the next chapter up soon.

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><p>He was a dead man. He'd just been caught by the sheriff in the act of kissing his daughter. Alone. At night. In the jungle. Of all the people to walk up, it had to be the only cop in Terra Nova, on the <em>planet<em>, who also just happened to be Maddy's father. Yeah, that man was going to shoot him. And then use all his natural amiability and good humor to convince Taylor it was an accident.  
>"Don't mind me," Mr. Shannon said, avoiding eye contact with both Maddy and Mark. He looked almost as uncomfortable as Mark felt. But at least he didn't look homicidal. For now. "I'm just passing through..."<br>Maddy had moved between him and her father, as though she could protect him. He could see the blush on her cheeks even in the dark. Mr. Shannon, oddly, didn't look too angry about finding them out here, just stunned and embarrassed. Mark took the opportunity to escape.  
>"I've got sentry duty," he said, knowing it was a lie; he'd just come off duty. But it sounded a lot better than 'I'm afraid you're going to shoot me for touching your daughter, so I'm going to leave now.' He heard Maddy make a similarly vague excuse and head in the opposite direction.<br>After walking a few feet, Mark stopped and stayed just out of sight, waiting for the older man to continue. When Mr. Shannon's footsteps faded, he doubled back, catching up to Maddy quickly.  
>He reached out and caught her hand. When she turned with a gasp and a terrified expression, Mark put a finger to his lips.<br>Maddy grinned sheepishly. "Don't scare me like that!"

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><p>It was official. Her father had the worst timing of anyone. <em>Ever<em>.  
>Mumbling something about getting back to camp, Maddy fled. Maddy was stumbling through the undergrowth, her cheeks still burning, when something grabbed her hand. She gasped and turned to face it, but her scream died in her throat when she found Mark standing there.<br>"Don't scare me like that," she hissed, grinning nonetheless.  
>"Sorry," he said, sounding anything but. He smiled down at her, suddenly much closer, and her eyes were drawn to his lips, still rosy from their earlier kisses. She bit her lip, looking away.<p>

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><p>Mark watched as the blood rushed to her cheeks. She looked down, biting her lip, clearly flustered. "Did you... want to... talk to me about something?"<br>Mark grinned. "Yeah. You were saying something about hormonal teenagers with claws, weren't you?"  
>She rolled her eyes.<br>He tipped her chin up and kissed her briefly. Maddy pulled him into a deeper kiss, her nails lightly scraping his scalp, and for a minute or so he let her. He was only human after all. Then, suppressing a groan, Mark gripped her upper arms and held her a step away from himself.  
>Mr. Shannon's interruption had brought him back to reality, and he was grateful for it in a way. He'd allowed someone to completely surprise him. What if it had been one of the Phoenix men who'd got past the perimeter mines? Maddy could've been hurt because he wasn't paying attention. He'd once promised never to let anything happen to her, and he intended to keep that promise.<br>Then there was the consideration that they were moving pretty fast. They had just been caught up in the moment, so relieved at seeing the other safe. Mark wanted to be with Maddy for the long run, and he wasn't sure she wouldn't regret letting adrenaline and uncertainty push them into something she wasn't ready for. He didn't want to lose her, and wasn't willing to risk it.  
>"Maddy, hang on."<br>"Mark. I know you're trying to protect me and everything-"  
>He grinned. "Not just you. Who do you think your dad would shoot if he found out?"<br>Maddy rolled her eyes, grinning even as she sighed. "Don't change the subject."  
>"I just don't think it's a good idea. Not here, not tonight."<br>"But what if something-"  
>Mark kissed her quickly, and felt her sigh against his lips. He bent to look in her eyes.<br>"I'm not going anywhere, okay? I promise."  
>"You better not," she said, smirking. "You've been making a lot of promises, Corporal, and I plan on holding you to them."<br>"Yes ma'am."

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><p>Mark took her hand, leading her back toward her family's area of the camp. Her parents weren't there when they arrived-<em>Thank God for small mercies,<em> she thought, remembering the humiliating incident with her dad earlier-but Josh and Zoe were. Josh was staring broodingly into the fire. Zoe sat next to him, looking bored and tracing patterns in the dirt at her feet with a stick. She looked up at their approach, then the small girl jumped into Mark's arms, both of them grinning. Maddy laughed at the display; Zoe adored Mark. He got to wear a uniform and fire the sonic cannon, and he knew about dinosaurs.  
>"I'm glad you weren't eaten," she told Mark seriously.<br>"Me too," Mark replied, chuckling and eyeing her askance. "What made you think I was?"  
>Zoe opened her mouth to reply, but Josh suddenly jumped into the conversation.<br>"You guys hungry?" he asked quickly, holding out a couple shiny silver packets. "One of the other soldiers dropped off some ration packs earlier. They kind of taste like cardboard, but hey."  
>Maddy glared at him, one eyebrow raised, as she accepted the rations. She passed one to Mark, who set Zoe back on the ground before taking it. Josh withered under her death glare, looking back into the flames as she sat opposite him. Maddy made a mental note to have a little talk with him later. She knew a guilty subject change when she heard it, and wasn't above using blackmail or brute force to get the truth out of her brother.<p>

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><p>Jim and Elisabeth returned to their section of the camp to find all three of their children, and Mark, sound asleep.<br>Josh was huddled into his sleeping bag, only a shock of tousled black hair visible at the opening. Mark sat leaning against a tree, head tipped back and lolling to one side in sleep. Maddy was leaning back against him, curled up between his legs, while his arms were loosely circled around her. Zoe was cocooned in an overlarge green jacket in her sister's lap.  
>Jim's arm fell from around her shoulders as he took a step toward them, but Elisabeth caught his arm. He glanced back and she could see the fear masked by protective anger. Even without the uncertainties of the war, her husband felt like he was losing his children.<br>Jim was looking more than frustrated at the boy's perceived intrusion. Elisabeth shook her head.  
>"Let them sleep," she whispered, towing him by the sleeve to their own sleeping bags.<br>Whether Jim accepted it or not, Mark was already part of their family. And whether he realized it or not, Jim shared some of his best traits with Maddy's boyfriend: his strong convictions and clear sense of right and wrong. And the younger man seemed to have the same fiercely loyal love that was responsible for the reunion of her family in Terra Nova, when everything in 2149 wanted to keep them apart. She had a feeling if the younger man wasn't threatening to take his daughter away from him, Jim might like him.


End file.
